A weevil is a small beetle — usually just a few millimetres long — with a long snout sticking out from its head, and it is a pest of stored food and crops. Weevils get into rice, flour, wheat, beans and dried noodles: you open the bag, and there they are, small brown or black specks moving. That is why the word appears so often in a kitchen context rather than a nature one.

A weevilWeevil is是 a small beetle一種小甲蟲 — usually just a few millimetres long通常只有幾毫米長 — with a long snout sticking out from its head頭上伸出一根長長的口鼻, and it is a pest of stored food and crops而且是儲糧和農作物的害蟲。Weevils get into rice, flour, wheat, beans and dried noodles Weevils 會鑽進米、麵粉、小麥、豆子和乾麵條裡：you open the bag你一打開袋子, and there they are就看到牠們在裡面, small brown or black specks moving一些棕色或黑色的小點在動。That is why the word appears so often in a kitchen context rather than a nature one這就是為什麼這個字常出現在廚房情境，而不是自然情境裡。

There are thousands of kinds, and the ones people name are named after what they ruin: rice weevil, grain weevil, boll weevil (which destroyed cotton farms across the American South, and is famous enough to appear in blues songs and history books).

There are thousands of kinds這種蟲有好幾千種, and the ones people name are named after what they ruin而人們特別取名字的那些，都是以牠們毀掉的東西命名：rice weevil「稻米象鼻蟲」, grain weevil「穀物象鼻蟲」, boll weevil「棉鈴象鼻蟲」 (which destroyed cotton farms across the American South牠曾摧毀美國南方一整片棉花田, and is famous enough to appear in blues songs and history books有名到出現在藍調歌曲和歷史書裡)。

Two things to notice about how English uses this word. First, it is a proper name for a kind of insect, not a general word for "bug in my food" — but ordinary speakers use it loosely for any tiny beetle found in a rice bag, whether or not it truly has the snout.

Two things to notice about how English uses this word英文用這個字有兩點值得注意。First第一, it is a proper name for a kind of insect它是某一類昆蟲的正式名稱, not a general word for "bug in my food"不是「我食物裡有蟲」的統稱 — but ordinary speakers use it loosely不過一般人會鬆散地用它 for any tiny beetle found in a rice bag指米袋裡任何一種小甲蟲, whether or not it truly has the snout不管牠是不是真的有那根長口鼻。

Second, `weevil` has an old figurative pull: because weevils eat away quietly from inside a store of food, writers sometimes use the image for something small that slowly ruins something large from within. That use is uncommon and literary; don't reach for it in speech.

Second第二, `weevil` has an old figurative pull weevil 這個字有個古老的比喻用法: because weevils eat away quietly from inside a store of food因為象鼻蟲會在糧倉裡默默從內部啃食, writers sometimes use the image for something small that slowly ruins something large from within作家有時會用這個意象來比喻某個小東西從內部慢慢毀掉一個大東西。That use is uncommon and literary這種用法不常見，而且偏文學; don't reach for it in speech講話時不要特意用它。

Plural is regular: weevils. The word is neutral in tone — no politeness problem — but it is not a common everyday word for most people; a Taiwanese student is more likely to need it when reading about food storage or farming than in chat.

Plural is regular複數是規則變化: weevils。The word is neutral in tone這個字語氣中性 — no politeness problem沒有禮貌上的問題 — but it is not a common everyday word for most people但對大多數人來說它不是常用的日常詞; a Taiwanese student is more likely to need it when reading about food storage or farming than in chat台灣學生比較可能在讀關於糧食儲存或農業的文章時用到它，而不是在聊天時。